Stalking Shadows
by Donaruie
Summary: While traveling near Daggerdale Drizzt and Catti have a deadly encounter with a powerfull Vampire. (Updated! Chapter 3)
1. Chapter 1

"Stalking Shadows"  
  
Author: Radiant Sea Serpent  
  
Disclaimer: Everyone except Lynara and Vaitrue belongs to R.A.S.  
  
Authors Note: The first Fanfic I ever wrote, before I even knew it was called fanfiction, this is also one I managed to only recently save from my laptop.  
  
* * * * *  
  
The ride had been hard. Two weeks they had been wandering without contact. They had run out of provisions days ago and now simply wished to locate some sign of civilization. Drizzt sighed and shifted in his saddle looking to the side at Catti-Brie. Her face showed signs of strain but she put none of her discomforts into voice, He was glad for that. This had after all been his idea. He shook his head and redirected his eyes back to the road ahead and frowned. They would have to set up camp soon.  
  
"Camp soon?" Catti said as if reading his thoughts, pulling her muscular chestnut mare to a stop.  
  
He nodded, pulling his own slender black stallion to a halt, but unwilling to look her in the eye. He instead looked around for a good place to set up camp. A moment later he pointed to a small clearing a little ways off the road, "There."  
  
Catti nodded and slowly dismounted attempting to stretch away the ache in her lower back and leg muscles as she took the packs off of the horse and moved towards the clearing. Drizzt followed suite and by dark had a fire going in the middle of the clearing.  
  
"Where do ye be thinking we are?" Catti asked after they had set up and the sun had set.  
  
Drizzt shook his head staring into the flames, "I'm not sure."  
  
"Well, where ever we be there must be a town somewhere." She muttered tossing pieces of bark into the fire. Drizzt nodded but wasn't convinced.  
  
"I'll take first watch." She declared after a moment, standing and walking over to lean on a tree at the edge of the firelight. Drizzt watched her go thoughtfully then deciding that they weren't in such a dangerous place lay down and drifted into sleep intierly trusting in his friend.  
  
Catti watched him then turned her gaze to the forest around them. It was some hours later when a sharp crack of twigs alerted her of something nearby. She bolted upright looking around wildly. She thought she saw something out of the corner of her eye and turned to see. Next thing she knew it was daytime and she was slumped against the tree. She sat up looking around in confusion. Had she fallen asleep? Memory rushed back and she looked around suddenly fearful. Wouldn't Drizzt have awakened her when his watch came? She hurridly made her way to his side and shook him gently. When he didn't respond she shook him harder, terrified, she called his name loudly into his ear. He jerked and shaught upright looking around startled. He groaned shading his sensitive nocturnal eyes from the unexpected burage of sunlight, then confused he shifted his gaze to Catti who was still clinging to his arm and looking terribly afraid.  
  
"What is it?! What's wrong?" He asked alarmed.  
  
"Oh thank the gods! I thought ye were dead!" She blurted.  
  
"What would make you think that?" He asked.  
  
"During me watch I thought I heard something in the woods then I'm to guessing I fell asleep. Then when I tried to wake ye up ye wouldn't...I thought maybe we was attacked..." She said sounding almost hysterical with the fear she had felt.  
  
Drizzt blinked a few times before answering, "Well, we weren't attacked and I'm not dead and if I was tired enough to have slept through my watch and you through yours then we probably needed it. Calm down."  
  
She took a couple of deep breaths to slow her wildly beating heart then stood and began to pack away her unused sleeping role. Drizzt sighed and did the same glad that she had calmed down but slightly worried himself. Something had definitely happened that night. Catti-Brie would never have fallen asleep if she had thought there was danger nearby and he hadn't been that tired. Coupled with that he felt horrible. Every movement seemed to drag and his throat felt raw as if he had been coughing. The pain made it hard to swallow and oddly enough didn't seem to affect his voice or vise versa. Not wanting to worry her, he told Catti none of this.  
  
* * * * *  
  
By the middle of the day Drizzt was no better and Catti was swearing that she would never ride another horse as long as she lived and that her buttox was probably purple by now. Drizzt smiled glad that she seemed unperturbed by the night's events. It was nearing sunset when they came across a wagon. The man driving it stopped the wagon and eyed them suspiciously. Drizzt immediately hiked up the hood of his cloak hiding his drowish features from view.  
  
"Who are you?" The man asked fear and suspicion evident in his voice.  
  
"Travelers is all, new about these parts. Who might ye be?" Catti asked smiling, an innocent almost girlish smile that often gave her an advantage in bad situations.  
  
"A farmer and merchant on my way home that's all you need to know. New around here you obviously are otherwise you wouldn't be out this late so far from a home or town." He said with a smile that seemed, Drizzt noted, almost sympathetic?  
  
"Where be the nearest town?" Catti asked casually.  
  
He turned slightly in his seat and pointed back the way he had come, "DaggerDale. About two to three miles back that way," regaining his seat he snapped the rains and started the wagon again moving around the couple, "You'd best hurry though, you'll want to get there before dark."  
  
"Why's that?" Drizzt asked  
  
"Bad things come out at night about these parts." The man called back to them before he went over a hill and was out of sight. Catti and Drizzt exchanged looks. Neither, Catti, being an expert marksman and able warrior and Drizzt one of the finest swordsman in all the realms, were overly concerned about the dangers. Indeed after the long uneventful journey both actually looked forward to the challenges of the night. These thoughts in mind they continued on their way neither hurried or worried.  
  
* * * * *  
  
They traveled long into the night before stopping in a small copse to set up camp. Taking the mans warnings to heart Drizzt, more attuned to the night than his human friend, took first watch as Catti gratefully stretched out for a much needed rest. Drizzt moved far out of the fire light's range so that the glare from the fire wouldn't cause him to miss details that could mean life or death for his slumbering friend. Not long after this Drizzt began to feel like there was something that just wasn't quite right. It was a feeling that struck him from deep within and made him shiver. Looking around his eyes locked onto a shadowy elf shaped figure whose eyes reflected the firelight and made them glow red. He gasped and started to call out an alarm when the creature looked up at him. Their eyes met and Drizzt felt like the world had been entirely enveloped in dark swirling mists that seemed to cloud his senses, The last thing he felt before his senses failed him completely was what seemed to be a pair of pinpricks on the side of his throat.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Catti awoke shortly after midnight prepared to take the second watch. She stood and looked around for Drizzt and froze when she saw him sprawled face down quite a ways from the firelight. In a half shock she ran to his side and gently rolled him over noting with great concern the fact that his dark black skin had turned into more of a dusky grey and that his breathing seemed slightly labored. Her eyes roamed over his body noting with some puzzlement the lack of wounds. If he wasn't suffering from wounds than what? Confused and scared she began to shake Drizzt and call his name trying to wake him.  
  
"Oh gods! Drizzt please, please wake up..."Her words cut off in a sob. Bowing her head she began to cry almost uncontrollably. So deep in grief and fear was she that she didn't notice Drizzt's groan or see his eyelids flutter.  
  
Drizzt awoke to the sensation of being shaken and something wet dripping on his face. After a few moments he also realized that someone was crying. He opened his eyes and almost immediately shut them again. He was extremely dizzy and everything seemed to be spinning. His throat burned and seemed to have swelled so that not only was swallowing difficult but breathing as well. His limbs were lead weights that refused to move. He lay there trying to make the world stop spinning when he suddenly realized who was crying. Catti? Why was she crying? The last thing he remembered was feeling strange and looking around. He thought he remembered seeing something but everything after that was a complete blank. Slowly opening his eyes he saw Catti, head bowed and eyes closed, tears streaming down her face. The wetness he had felt when he had awakened had been her tears falling on his face. His eyes blurred suddenly and became unfocused causing him to blink and shake his head which in turn caused his dizziness to return.  
  
The act of him shaking his head seemed to snap Catti back to the present. Seeing him awake she gasped with relief, "Gods ye gave me quite a scare...are ye alright...how do ye feel?"  
  
"I feel horrible...what happened?" He asked as he struggled to sit up.  
  
Catti rapped her arm around his back helping him sit upright, concerned when he began to lean against her weakly, "I'm not knowing...I woke up and just found ye here...how do ye feel exactly?"  
  
"My throat burns...and it's hard to breath... "His voice faded as his thoughts suddenly began to drift, gods he was tired. He felt Catti's hand on his forehead.  
  
"Well, ye're not sick." She mumbled more to herself than Drizzt. He didn't have a fever, far from it, his skin was cold almost icy to the touch. Suddenly truly worried for her friend she slowly lowered him back to the ground, stood and gave a shrill whistle. A soft nicker came as a response as the horses trotted to her side. She quickly tied the reigns of the stallion to the mare's saddle then turned back to kneel at Drizzt's side. She maneuvered herself under his arm and wrapped her own about his back, gently lifting him off the ground. He swayed slightly but with her aid managed to stay on his feet. She took a deep breath and began to make her way to the mare's side then groaned in dismay. There was no way she'd be able to get him onto the horse on her own.  
  
"Drizzt, ye're going to have to help me out here, ok? Ye have to get on the horse. Ye have to try. Drizzt?" She said glancing at his face anxiously. He nodded slightly reaching out to grab the saddle horn and then the mane when his other arm was freed. He stopped for a moment trembling with exhaustion and not quite sure how to proceed. Catti noting his hesitation and the fact that his hands were shaking came forward and helped put his foot in the stirrup. Smiling his thanks he slowly swung himself up into the saddle and promptly slumping over the saddle horn, attempting to keep himself from falling off. Then Catti was up behind him wrapping her arm about him to keep him in place as she forced the horses into a smooth canter.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Sitting in a tree overhead the shadowy figure watched all this with a twisted smile. He cared little if the drow actually managed to escape him, he did so love a challenge, but he seriously doubted that he would. No one ever escaped him. He sighed as the two left riding fast in the direction of DaggerDale. It was only a matter of time.  
  
TBC  
  
* * * * *  
  
Review please! 


	2. Chapter 2

"Stalking Shadows"  
  
Author: Radiant Sea Serpent  
  
Disclaimer: Everyone except Lynara and Vaitrue belongs to R.A.S.  
  
Authors Note: The first Fanfic I ever wrote, before I even knew it was called fanfiction, this is also one I managed to only recently save from my laptop.  
  
* * * * *  
  
They rode hard for the rest of the night and well into the next day until they saw the gates to the town. Catti sighed with relief, "We're almost there." She said and Drizzt barely coherent pulled the hood of his cloak forward to hide his face as they made their way to the gates. They were promptly stopped by the guards who eyed them suspiciously.  
  
"State your business." The first said  
  
"Me names Catti-Brie and me friends sick. He needs help." she said out of breath. The second guard eyeing her with distrust came forward and roughly ripped the hood from Drizzt's head who blinked as the guard gasped and jumped backward drawing his sword and looking to his companion for support. Catti growled in anger.  
  
"I'm not fer carin for yer stupid racism or fears! Me friend needs help! He may be dieing. What if ye were in my position. Think about that then you'd best be thinkin bout what i'm goin to do to ye if me friend dies because ye didn't think to help him." She cried, to filled with worry and frustration to stay calm.  
  
The first guard looked pointedly at the second who came forward to better inspect Drizzt then looked back at the first, "He doesn't look to good to me. I think she's telling the truth."  
  
"Then go fetch the healer. I want to hear it from her before I let any drow into my town." Answered the first to which the second immediately made his way past the gate to fetch the healer. After afew moments he returned guiding a thin young woman with curly blond hair tied up into a loose bun.  
  
"There he is." The second guard said motioning to Drizzt.  
  
The woman scowled, "My eyesight is not impaired I can see that for myself." She snapped as she made her way to the horse's side. She began inspecting Drizzt with an expert eye but it was only when she placed her hand on his forehead that she showed signs of worry. She shook her head as if in denial before turning back to the guards.  
  
"I want them brought to my place immediately." She demanded.  
  
"Then she's not lying?" asked the first guard.  
  
"No, one can't fake this." She said guiding the horse towards the gates, "Now open up!"  
  
The guards immediately jumped to follow her orders. The woman guided them quickly through the all but deserted streets of the town to a three story building near the east side of the town. With the woman's help they managed to get Drizzt off the horse, into the house, and into a bed. Once he was comfortable and sleeping. The woman pulled Catti aside, "My name is Lynara, i'm the healer of this town. Now I need you to tell me what happened, everything." She said.  
  
Catti immediately told her everything that had happened over the past two days. Lynara nodded as if she had heard it all before, "Alright. You should get some rest. You can sleep in the room across the hall."  
  
Catti nodded but hesitated looking at Drizzt. Lynara smiled reasuringly, "I'll look after him, you just get some rest." she said guiding Catti to the room across the hall and gently pushing her in. Catti sighed and slowly closed the door. Lynara's smile vanished as she returned to Drizzt's room.  
  
Taking a deep breath, hoping for the best but knowing better than to actually expect it, She placed a hand under Drizzt's chin and gently tilted it to the side and let out her breath in a resigned sigh upon sighting the marks upon his throat. She ran her fingers lightly over the already healed over puncture wounds noting from the size of the wounds that the drow had already been bitten twice. She sat down heavily in a nearby chair, placing her chin in her palm as she tried to figure out what to do. She had dealt with plenty of vampire victims, it was common place around those parts, but none of those had been bitten more than once. But she had been trained well. She new by the story told her by Catti that the vampire was powerful and she also new that Drizzt would begin reacting to the vampire's presence. That was probably their only true advantage at the moment. After a moments hesitation she leaned forward over Drizzt, now that she had resigned herself to the fact that she may loose this one she wanted to see just how far along the drow was, placed a finger lightly onto his upper lip. As if in an instinctive reaction to her touch the lip pulled back from the teeth clearly revealing the budding fangs growing into place over his canines. Pulling back she realized that the drow was in true danger. This was the first patient she had ever had that was actually infected. The fact that he could actually become a vampire on her terrified her. She herself had never actually met a vampire and after seeing what they could do she was truly afraid.  
  
Drizzt gave a low moan as he turned his head away from her. The hardest part about this was going to be the act of explaining all this to the woman in the other room, She thought as she glanced towards the room.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"What?! What are ye sayin?" Cattie asked, her voice little more than a stunned whisper.  
  
"Your friend is suffering from a vampiric assault. He's been bitten twice i'm guessing." Lynara said hesitant to speak of the true danger.  
  
"But...he'll be ok, won't he?" Cattie asked hopefully but fully expecting the worst.  
  
Lynara began to look flustered, "I'm not...not really...I'm not quite sure..."She mumbled looking at the floor in her discomfort.  
  
"I'm wantin to be knowin the truth," Catti cried suddenly angry, "If me friends to die i'm wantin to know!"  
  
Lynara scowled, "I don't know! He may die, true, but I am not certain. He's been infected, of that I am certain."  
  
"Infected? With what?" Catti asked confused.  
  
"You dared venture into these parts without any knowledge of the vampire," Lynara exclaimed almost shocked, "Fool!" she cried forcing the laughter back for the sake of her foolish guest.  
  
"We never planned...we didn't think..." Catti muttered, now herself flustered.  
  
"Obviously." Lynara said with a sigh, "Your friend has been infected with vampirism, there is a very good chance that he himself will become one."  
  
Catti-brie stared at her in shock then began shaking her head as she made her way to the door of Drizzt's room, watching him as he slept, "How long?"  
  
"He must be bitten once more for the change to acure, after that it will take him about a week, maybe more." Lynara answered as she moved to Catti's side.  
  
"How can we cure him?"  
  
"If the vampire is destroyed your friend will heal. If it manages to bite your friend again...then the only way to help him will be to kill him and destroy his body for I know of no cure for vampirism."  
  
"Alright," Catti said turning to face Lynara fully, blue eyes flashing, "How do we be destroyin the thing."  
  
* * * * *  
  
About an hour later Catti found herself pacing in front of the door inside Drizzt's room. Lynara sat at his side studying him intently. They had spent the hour covering the door and windows with holy symbols and holy water, they had attempted garlic but Drizzt had had a reaction to it. Now they were simply waiting for the vampire to show itself. An hour more passed and found them in the same position. Drizzt gave a low moan and both women immediately fixed their eyes on him. His face was contorted in what seemed like pain and his head tossed fitfully from side to side. Catti looked to Lynara who nodded, "The vampire is close." She stated.  
  
As if in response they both heard a crash of crockery hitting the floor and a terror filled scream that seemed to die away into a sigh coming from the hall outside the door. Her hand gripping her sword Catti pulled open the door and stepped out into the hall then froze.  
  
TBC  
  
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Review Please! 


	3. Chapter 3

"Stalking Shadows"  
  
Author: Radiant Sea Serpent  
  
Disclaimer: Everyone except Lynara and Vaitrue belongs to R.A.S.  
  
Authors Note: The first Fanfic I ever wrote, before I even knew it was called fanfiction, this is also one I managed to only recently save from my broken laptop. Sorry for the delay it's been 5 years since I last added anything to this fic and it took me awhile to get back into it. I've also had issues dealing with Catti's accent, hope I've done ok with it so far (  
  
****  
  
He was reasonably tall, well proportioned, and muscular. Hishair was long and pale blue in color tucked behind gracefully pointed ears. The only feature that could be seen of his face though were his eyes, large almond shaped eyes that flashed with a red light and which Catti carefully avoided, the rest of his face was covered with a mask like veil. With more confidence than she was actually feeling Catti squared her jaw and slowly drew her sword, rightfully named Cutter, and stood off against the vampire.  
  
"Ye're not fer havin me friend, I'd kill him meself before lettin ye get him." She said firmly. The vampire cocked his head and slowly approached her. Catti began to back away but then realized that that was precisely what the creature wanted, by backing away she would leave the room's door reasonably unguarded. She held her ground bringing the sword out to her side when the vampire was within only a few strides from her. She stared boldly into his face careful not to meet his gaze. The vampire looked her over carefully.  
  
"So much courage." He said suddenly his voice smooth and melodious the sound of it inspiring an almost irresistible urge to sleep in Catti-brie, "It does much to accent your beauty." He continued, lifting a slender sharp nailed hand to stroke her cheek.  
  
Catti swallowed hard, this was nothing like she had expected, it was just so much easier thinking of him as an unthinking monster. Gritting her teeth she flinched back away from the Vampire bringing her sword up between them, "Ye'll not have him!" she growled.  
  
The vampire's eyes narrowed and she had a terrible feeling that he meant to attack, and indeed he would have but a sudden choked cry from Drizzt caused both human and vampire to look into the room. Drizzt was in a half upright position, his eyes were open glaring with open hatred at Lynara who fought to keep Drizzt pinned to the bed. Lynara gasped, blood running down her arms from cuts caused by the budding claws on Drizzt's hands.  
  
"I do not believe your friend feels the same." The vampire said amused. Turning he began to enter the room but stopped hissing in anger as he intercepted the invisible barrier caused by the holy water spilled on the floor. Catti wasn't really too worried about the vampire as she was for Lynara, she knew perfectly well Drizzt's skill in hand to hand combat. Her fears were met a moment later when Drizzt curled his legs up between him and Lynara, kicking her with enough force to send her stumbling backwards into the wall. There was a sharp crack as her head hit the wall then she collapsed, senseless, to the floor. He then rolled off the bed into a sitting position where he sat breathing hard.  
  
Catti gasped and moved to enter the room when with a sudden blurr of movement the vampire grabbed her by the back of her tunic and threw her forcefully backwards into the hallway wall. She crumbled to the floor in a heap, blood running down her neck from where she had hit her head on the wall.  
  
"Drizzt." she managed to whimper before collapsing into darkness.  
  
TBC  
  
****  
  
Review Please!  
  
Was a little shorter then the last two chapters but it just seemed like a good place to stop. ( If you liked this chapter be sure to thank Maffeoel, cause it would have been a few more days in the coming if it wasn't for his/her review. It gave me the push to update quicker.  
  
Review Responses for the Last Two Chapters  
  
She-Cat: w00t! You reviewed my story! Your Drizzt fics are my favorites and I'm so glad you like mine (  
  
Sirithiliel: Sorry about the delay, hope it wasn't too long for you.  
  
Arlen Halfelven: Yeah me too! I first wrote this after seeing Brahm Stoker's Dracula, kinda obvious in the last chapter (  
  
SilverWolf7: Yes I always wondering why no one had mixed the two yet and I'm so glad you like it!  
  
ChichiX: That I am, it works better.  
  
Kuraishi: I think you'll be surprised and hopefully pleased by where I take it (  
  
DragonEyeZ: yeah I know, a cliffy ( and thanks for telling me about the missing paragraph, don't know how that happened.by the way, love your Drizzt stories  
  
SpellBlade5777: Unfortunately no, my laptop broke before I could finish this chapter.  
  
Silverbane: I thought so too (  
  
Maffeoel: I'm so glad you reviewed, I was actually in the middle of writing this chapter when you reviewed ( You helped me get done all the sooner. 


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